Lil Nas X hit the MTV VMAs stage as both a nominee and a performer on Sunday night, and his mash-up of “Industry Baby” and “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” had fans sweating before the night was over.
The rapper kicked things off by literally marching onto the stage with a marching band, before eventually stripping down to almost nothing for some shower choreography.
For some, the performance evoked another iconic moment in music history: the “Band Geeks” episode of “SpongeBob SquarePants.” In the episode, originally released in September 2001, SpongeBob and his marching band perform at the halftime show of the Bubble Bowl — wearing full marching gear.
“Lil Nas X knows his references,” one person tweeted, along with a side-by-side image of SpongeBob and Lil Nas X wearing similar marching band uniforms.
Others were thoroughly amused by fellow nominee Billie Eilish’s reaction to the performance, as she looked thoroughly shell-shocked at times.
Then, of course, there were some decidedly NSFW feelings toward the performance. Actor and “Ellen” star Kalen Allen wasn’t shy about his admiration for the rapper, tweeting, “It’s actually a good thing I didn’t go to the #VMAs because I can’t promise that you wouldn’t see me on TMZ tomorrow morning leaving Lil Nas X’s hotel…”
You can check out more reactions to Lil Nas X’s VMAs performance below.
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